Maurizio Sarri felt Napoli “played on a par with Juventus and lost to an unlucky incident” in the Scudetto head-to-head.
Simone Zaza came off the bench to score at the 88th minute, his shot taking a deflection off Raul Albiol to loop over Pepe Reina.
“The game was blocked by a tactical balance between the two sides and it was decided by an unlucky incident right at the end,” the Coach told Mediaset Premium and Sky Sport Italia.
Maurizio Sarri felt Napoli “played on a par with Juventus and lost to an unlucky incident” in the Scudetto head-to-head.
Simone Zaza came off the bench to score at the 88th minute, his shot taking a deflection off Raul Albiol to loop over Pepe Reina.
“The game was blocked by a tactical balance between the two sides and it was decided by an unlucky incident right at the end,” the Coach told Mediaset Premium and Sky Sport Italia.
“It’s a pity to lose in these circumstances after an even match. I don’t think there will be big repercussions on the side, but even an undeserved defeat can cause problems psychologically.
“We showed good character, though we could’ve been more sprightly in attack, but the hard work we did to deny Juventus chances inevitably slowed our usual attacking verve.
“We still created two or three chances and it looked as if the match was going to a draw. Juve’s substitution a few minutes before the goal even moved them to 4-5-1 and made it look as if they were happy with a point.
“I think the fact we played on a par with Juventus on their own turf, one of the best teams in Europe let alone Italy, shows Napoli have improved.
“I saw the performance of a strong side. I would’ve been happier to lose on a counter because we were trying to win at all costs rather than on a deflected shot.
“I think we allowed Zaza too much space and should’ve closed him down so the shot came from further away. It seemed like an innocuous shot for Reina until the deflection. Unfortunately these things happen and they can be decisive for a match too.
“We had some uncertainty right to the end, as we didn’t know if Juventus were going to play three at the back or four.
“We didn’t have the pace that we had in other games, but let’s not forget Juve’s defensive strength has been evident for four or five years now and they concede one every three matches, so it was never going to be easy to break them down.”
Juventus are now one point clear at the top of the table, so will Napoli stay in the Scudetto race?
“It’s not our duty to fight to the end with Juve, as they are clearly on another level. The fact remains it is a positive response from the side, as few teams can come to the Juventus Stadium and do this well.
“It can happen to win or lose on an incident, but we played on level terms and must focus our attention on that. What matters to me is that the team reacts immediately, as on Thursday we have Villarreal in the Europa League and then Milan next Monday.
“What I want to see is that the team takes the positives from this night and doesn’t get downhearted by an unlucky deflection in the last minute. If we are to become a big team, we have to absorb and get over a negative incident.”